Vehicle light source

ABSTRACT

A light source for a vehicle includes a first substrate, a second substrate, a first light emitting element, and a second light emitting element. The second substrate is spaced apart from the first substrate. The first light emitting element is coupled to a surface of the first substrate that faces the second substrate. The first light emitting element is configured to emit light through the second substrate. The second light emitting element is coupled to a surface of the second substrate that faces the first substrate. The second light emitting element is configured to emit light through the first substrate.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of and priority to U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 62/588,829, filed Nov. 20, 2017, the entire disclosureof which is hereby incorporated by reference herein.

BACKGROUND

The present application relates generally to vehicle lighting. Morespecifically, the present application relates to a non-incandescentlight source for a vehicle.

SUMMARY

One embodiment of the present application relates to a light source fora vehicle including a first substrate, a second substrate, a first lightemitting element, and a second light emitting element. The secondsubstrate is spaced apart from the first substrate. The first lightemitting element is coupled to a surface of the first substrate thatfaces the second substrate. The first light emitting element isconfigured to emit light through the second substrate. The second lightemitting element is coupled to a surface of the second substrate thatfaces the first substrate. The second light emitting element isconfigured to emit light through the first substrate.

Another embodiment relates to a light source for a vehicle including afirst substrate, a second substrate, a first LED, and a second LED. Thesecond substrate is spaced apart from the first substrate. The first LEDis coupled to a surface of the first substrate that faces the secondsubstrate. The first LED is configured to emit light through the secondsubstrate. The second LED is coupled to a surface of the secondsubstrate that faces the first substrate. The second LED is configuredto emit light through the first substrate.

Another embodiment relates to a light source for a vehicle including afirst substrate, a second substrate, a first light emitting element, anda second light emitting element. The first substrate includes asubstantially transparent portion. The second substrate is spaced apartfrom the first substrate and includes a substantially transparentportion. The first light emitting element is coupled to a surface of thefirst substrate that faces the second substrate. The first lightemitting element is configured to emit light through the substantiallytransparent portion of the second substrate. The second light emittingelement is coupled to a surface of the second substrate that faces thefirst substrate. The second light emitting element is configured to emitlight through the substantially transparent portion of the firstsubstrate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1-5 are perspective views of various prior art vehicle lightsources.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a vehicle light source according to anexemplary embodiment of the present application.

FIG. 7 is a top view of the vehicle light source of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a side view of the vehicle light source of FIG. 6.

FIG. 9 is a partial top view of the vehicle light source of FIG. 6.

FIG. 10 is a partial side view of the vehicle light source of FIG. 6.

FIG. 11 is another partial top view of the vehicle light source of FIG.6.

FIG. 12 is another perspective view of the vehicle light source of FIG.6.

FIG. 13 is a front view of the vehicle light source of FIG. 6.

FIG. 14 is a partial front view of the vehicle light source of FIG. 6illustrating an LED beam pattern of the light source, according to anexemplary embodiment.

FIG. 15 is a diagram of a beam pattern of the vehicle light source ofFIG. 6, according to an exemplary embodiment.

FIG. 16 is a cross-sectional view of the vehicle light source of FIG. 6taken along line 14-14 in FIG. 8.

FIG. 17 is a schematic view of a vehicle system including the vehiclelight source of FIG. 6 according to an exemplary embodiment.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring generally to the FIGURES, disclosed herein are variousexemplary embodiments of a non-incandescent light source for a vehiclethat is configured as a direct replacement for a tungsten-halogen lightsource (e.g., H11, HB2, HB3, H7, H4, etc.) or other incandescent lightsource on a vehicle (e.g., 3156/7, T-20 and other signal and markinglamps based on plastic and glass wedge-type bases that are listed in SAEJ573 for miniature lamps). The light source of the present applicationcan, advantageously, produce a light emission pattern (e.g., visiblelight radiation pattern, etc.) that is substantially the same as, orsimilar to, the emission pattern of a traditional tungsten-halogen bulbor incandescent bulb (e.g., a 4π radiation pattern, etc.), whileproviding for improved brightness, useful life, reliability, andcustomization, as compared to traditional tungsten-halogen bulbs andaftermarket LED light sources. The disclosed light source can be usedfor any automotive lighting function, such as high beam (upper beam),low beam (lower beam), front fog lamp, signal functions (e.g., frontturn signal, rear turn signal, back-up (reversing lamp), rear fog, stop,tail, high mount stop lamp, etc.), or other automotive lightingapplications.

Generally speaking, traditional automotive exterior lighting hasincluded halogen sealed beams and other incandescent light sources. Morerecently, the automotive industry has started transitioning to LED andother non-incandescent light sources for roadway illumination and lightsignaling, such as laser diode, laser activated remote phosphor, organicLED (OLED), and other non-incandescent light sources.

Currently, however, there is no standard non-incandescent light sourceon the market that can replace a traditional tungsten-halogen orincandescent light source on vehicles that originally came equipped withthese light sources. There are numerous aftermarket products that claimto be retrofit LED light sources. Most of these aftermarket products,however, do not accurately replicate the beam pattern produced by thetungsten filament they claim to replace, which is often due todifferences in the light emitting area of the light source itself. Thus,when these aftermarket LED light sources are used in, for example,headlight assemblies including reflectors that are specifically designedfor tungsten-halogen light sources, the light produced by these LEDlight sources is scattered and can cause nuisance glare to oncomingdrivers.

For example, to increase the amount of light output or to create theappearance of increased brightness, many aftermarket LED light sourcesinclude additional light emitting elements (e.g., LEDs, etc.) located inthe proximity of the designed “light center” or focal point of the lightsource. Referring to FIGS. 1-3, for example, three different prior artaftermarket LED light sources 10 a, 10 b, 10 c are shown. As shown inFIGS. 1-3, each of the light sources 10 a, 10 b, 10 c includes aplurality of LEDs 11 a, 11 b, 11 c, respectively, that are coupled alonga periphery of each light source. Due to the number of LEDs 11 a, 11 b,11 c required to achieve a desired brightness, and due to the small sizeof the light source package, at least some of the LEDs 11 a, 11 b, 11 care moved away from the designed focal point of the light source, whichcan result in reduced photometric efficacy and increased nuisance-glareto other nighttime road users (e.g., due to light scattering, etc.).

In addition, some aftermarket LED light sources have light emissionwindows that are significantly different from the light emission windowsof traditional tungsten-halogen bulbs, such that the resulting beampatterns of the LED light sources vary from the beam patterns oftungsten-halogen bulbs, which can result in increased nuisance glare andpoor illumination for a driver. For example, FIG. 4 illustrates a priorart aftermarket LED light source 10 d. The LED light source 10 dincludes a pair of LEDs 11 d arranged back-to-back on a singlesubstrate/circuit board. The light emission window of the LED lightsource 10 d has a square shape and has a size of approximately 2 mm byapproximately 2 mm. In contrast, the light emission window of a typicaltungsten-halogen filament is rectangular in shape and has a size ofapproximately 5 mm by approximately 1 mm. This difference in the lightemission windows causes the resulting beam patterns to vary, which cancause increased nuisance glare and reduced photometric efficacy for theLED light source, as compared to the tungsten-halogen light source.

Similarly, FIG. 5 illustrates a prior art aftermarket LED light source10 e including three discrete LEDs 11 e arranged on each side of asingle substrate. The discrete position of each LED 11 e causes anuneven break in the light emission window of the light source 10 e,similar to the LED light sources of FIGS. 1-3. In contrast, traditionaltungsten-halogen light sources have continuous, uninterrupted lightemission windows. Thus, the resulting beam pattern of the LED lightsource 10 e is significantly different from the beam pattern of atraditional tungsten-halogen bulb, resulting in increased nuisance glareand reduced photometric efficacy.

Additionally, because the LEDs 11 d, 11 e are each located on oppositesides of a single substrate/circuit board, the optical emission surfaceof the light sources 10 d, 10 e is separated by a distance that is muchlarger than the width of the tungsten-halogen filament, which functionsas the optical emission surface of the traditional tungsten-halogen coiland is limited to the shape or diameter of the coil itself (e.g.,approximately 1 mm in diameter, etc.). This separation in the opticalemission surface can create gaps in the emission pattern resulting in“dim” areas in the beam pattern of the LED light source, which isundesirable. Furthermore, the waste heat produced by each LED 11 d, 11 eis concentrated at the base of the LED die on each side of the samesubstrate/circuit board, which can cause an increase in the thermal loadof each LED and can reduce the luminous efficacy of each LED.

Disclosed herein is a vehicle light source that can substantiallyreplicate the beam pattern of a traditional tungsten halogen bulb, whileproviding for improved brightness, useful life, reliability, andcustomization, as compared to traditional tungsten-halogen bulbs andaftermarket LED light sources. According to an exemplary embodiment, thelight source includes two substantially parallel substrates and at leastone LED coupled to each of the substrates, indirectly across from eachother. The substrates each include a substantially transparent portionto allow for light emitted from the LEDs to pass through an oppositesubstrate along the primary emission axis of each LED. In this manner,the disclosed light source can provide an improved beam pattern byavoiding displacement of the light center of the LEDs, as compared totypical aftermarket LED light sources. Furthermore, by placing the LEDson opposite substrates, the thermal resistance of each LED can bereduced and the luminous efficacy improved, because the waste heatproduced by the LEDs at the base of each LED die is distributed toseparate substrates that are spaced apart from each other, instead of asingle substrate.

Additionally, the disclosed LED light source includes a rotary assemblythat allows for optical adjustment of the resulting beam pattern fromthe LEDs, to thereby achieve an optimum beam pattern for a particularlighting application, unlike conventional aftermarket LED light sources,which typically have fixed beam patterns.

Referring to FIGS. 6-11, a light source 20 for a vehicle (e.g., vehiclelight source, LED light source, light module, etc.) is shown accordingto an exemplary embodiment of the present application. The light source20 includes a pair of substrates 25 (e.g., first and second substrates,panels, members, boards, etc.) oriented substantially parallel to eachother. According to an exemplary embodiment, the substrates 25 arespaced apart from each other by approximately 1.0 mm (e.g., ±50%) toaccommodate an LED height of approximately 0.75 mm and a solderthickness of approximately 0.050 mm on the electrical trace, leavingapproximately 0.20 mm between the light emitting element 32 and thesubstrate 25. This spacing, advantageously, reduces the optical emissionsurface of the light source, so as to mimic the emission surface of atypical tungsten-halogen light source. A first light emitting element 32(e.g., first LED, etc.) is coupled to a facing surface of one of thesubstrates 25 (i.e., a surface of the substrate that faces the oppositesubstrate). A second light emitting element 33 (e.g., second LED, etc.)is coupled to a facing surface of the other substrate 25. According toother exemplary embodiments, the light source 20 includes more than onelight emitting element coupled to each of the substrates 25. Accordingto an exemplary embodiment, the first and second light emitting elements32, 33 are LEDs. The LEDs may have a one, two, three, four, or othercombination of a ‘multi-die’ LED package, a chip scale package, a chipon board or a die on ceramic arrangement. According to other exemplaryembodiments, the light emitting elements 32, 33 are a phosphorescentplate with a remote light source, such as a laser diode.

As shown in FIGS. 6-11, the first light emitting element 32 ispositioned offset from the second light emitting element 33 in alongitudinal direction, but is otherwise located across from the secondlight emitting element 33 (i.e., indirectly across). In other words, thelight emitting elements 32, 33 are disposed on the facing surfaces ofthe substrates 25, with each light emitting element facing an oppositesubstrate. In this manner, heat generated by the light emitting elements32, 33 can be distributed to separate substrates that are spaced apartfrom each other, instead of to a single substrate, thereby improving thethermal resistance and luminous efficacy of each light emitting element.

According to an exemplary embodiment, the substrates 25 are each madefrom a ceramic material, such as aluminum oxide. According to otherexemplary embodiments, the ceramic material includes zirconia (ZrO₂),magnesia (MgO), or other substantially transparent ceramic materials(e.g., sapphire, garnet, YAG ceramic, or carbon (diamond)). For example,according to an exemplary embodiment, the substrates are made from Al₂O₃(aluminum oxide, alumina or corundum) that is sintered in such a way, soas to control the grain size and reduce porosity to produce asubstantially transparent substrate. The process to producesubstantially transparent ceramic materials can include varioussintering techniques, such as a spark plasma sintering (SPS), vacuumsintering, high pressure (HP), hot isostatic pressure (HIP), andmicrowave sintering on alumina, zirconia, and other more complexceramics. The Applicant discovered that these materials can,advantageously, allow for improved thermal conductivity of the substrateand allow for a reduction in substrate thickness for vehicle lightingapplications. According to an exemplary embodiment, the substrates 25each have a thickness of approximately 0.5 mm (e.g., ±0.25 mm).Furthermore, the substrates 25 each have a generally planar shape, andinclude a substantially transparent portion (e.g., between approximately60% and approximately 98% straight line transparency (±2.0%)). In thisway, the substrates 25 define light emission windows that mimic thelight emission window of a tungsten-halogen light source and can allow asubstantial amount of light emitted from the light emitting elements 32,33 to pass therethrough, the details of which are discussed in theparagraphs that follow.

As shown in FIG. 8, the substrates 25 each include electrical traces 34that form a circuit between the light emitting elements 32, 33 andrespective electrical connections on the light source. According tovarious exemplary embodiments, the electrical traces 34 can form aseries connection with the light emitting elements 32, 33, or can definetwo separate circuits (e.g., for high beam and low beam functions, stopand taillight functions, etc.). The electrical traces 34 can be formedfrom a silver ink or other metallic ink that is printed, laminated, orotherwise applied to each substrate 25. According to an exemplaryembodiment, one or more of the substrates 25 includes a surfacetreatment on an outer and/or inner surface thereof, such as a texture, acoating, or the like, such that the substrate can distribute or diffuseat least some of the light emitted by the light emitting element 32, 33.

According to the exemplary embodiment shown in FIGS. 6-8, the substrates25 are coupled to, or integrally formed with, a substrate base 24 at aproximal end of the substrates 25. The substrates 25 each extendoutwardly away from the substrate base 24 to a distal end of thesubstrates in a cantilevered manner. A cap 26 is coupled to, orintegrally formed with, the substrates 25 at the distal end. The cap 26can be substantially opaque, which can, advantageously, obscure a directview of the light emitting elements 32, 33 to help reduce or eliminatenuisance-glare that may be produced by the light source 20. In addition,according to an exemplary embodiment, the cap 26 can include fins,slots, or other heat dissipating features, so as to function as a heatsink for the substrates 25 (see FIG. 17).

Referring to FIGS. 7-9, the light emitting element 32 has a primarylight emission axis that is indicated generally by arrow “A” in FIG. 7.Similarly, light emitting element 33 has a primary light emission axisthat is indicated generally by arrow “B” in FIG. 7. The primary lightemission axes A, B are offset from each other in a longitudinaldirection and project in opposite, substantially parallel directionsthrough the substrates 25. As shown in FIGS. 7-8, the substantiallytransparent portions of the substrates 25 cooperatively define a lightemission area that is indicated generally by a dashed box “C.” The lightemission area C is aligned with the primary light emission axes A, B ofeach light emitting element 32, 33. In this manner, the light emissionarea C replicates the light emission window of a traditionaltungsten-halogen bulb, without producing unwanted glare.

Referring to FIGS. 6-8 and 12-15, the light source 20 further includes arotary assembly 22 (e.g., rotating mechanism, ratcheting mechanism,etc.) that rotatably couples the substrate base 24 to a standard bulbbase for a vehicle, shown as primary base 21. The rotary assembly 22can, advantageously, allow for optical alignment or adjustment of thesubstrates 25 relative to the primary base 21, so as to facilitatecreating an optimum beam pattern for the light source 20. For example,with most conventional vehicle light sources, the beam pattern is fixedsuch that when the light source is installed on a vehicle, any “dim”areas that may be present in the beam pattern cannot be adjusted ormitigated, which may be undesirable in certain applications (e.g.,different headlamp designs, reflectors, etc.). In contrast, the rotaryassembly 22 can be selectively rotated by an installer between aplurality of angular positions relative to the primary base 21, so as tofacilitate adjustment of the beam pattern of the light source 20.

For example, referring to FIGS. 14-15, an example beam pattern of thelight source 20 is shown according to an exemplary embodiment. As shownin this embodiment, the beam pattern has some light scatter and sometotal internal reflection (TIR) outside of the 120 degree emissionpattern of the light emitting elements 32, 33, which is a result of thetransmissivity of the substrates 25 (e.g., less than 100%transmissivity, etc.). The exemplary beam pattern of light source 20further includes a small “dim” area, which is significantly smaller thanthe dim area created by conventional aftermarket LED light sources. Therotary assembly 22 can, however, be selectively adjusted in a directionindicated generally by arrows “E” about the optical axis of the lightsource 20, such that the small dim area of the beam pattern is adjustedor moved to achieve an optimum beam pattern for a particularapplication. In this way, the beam pattern of the light source 20 isoptimized by minimizing the amount of luminous flux lost at highlyimportant test points/areas for desired illumination (e.g., 0.86 degreesdown, 3.5 degrees left, 1.5 degrees down, 2.0 degrees left, etc.).

According to an exemplary embodiment, the rotary assembly 22 includes anouter ring member 27 rotatably coupled to an inner ring member 28. Theinner ring member 28 is coupled to the substrate base 24 and thesubstrates 25. The inner ring member 28 can include an opening to allowfor wires or other electrical connectors to pass through between thesubstrates 25 and the primary base 21. The inner ring member 28 includesan undulating portion 29 that defines a plurality of detents disposedalong an annular periphery of the inner ring 28. According to anexemplary embodiment, the plurality of detents are spaced apart fromeach other by between approximately 18 degrees and approximately 20degrees, although other angular spacing is contemplated, according toother exemplary embodiments. According to the exemplary embodimentshown, the undulating portion 29 extends 180 degrees (i.e.,semi-annular). According to other exemplary embodiments, the undulatingportion 29 can extend greater than, or less than, 180 degrees about thesubstrate base 24 and the substrates 25. A ball member 30 and spring 31are disposed between the outer ring member 27 and the inner ring member28. The ball member 30 is biased by the spring 31 against the undulatingportion 29 of the inner ring member. The inner ring member 28 can beselectively rotated by an installer relative to the outer ring member 27(or vice versa) in a direction indicated generally by arrow “F,” suchthat the ball member 30 can selectively engage with, and disengage from,the plurality of detents, as indicated generally by arrow “G,” to set arotational position of the substrate base 24 and the substrates 25relative to the primary base 21. In this way, the beam pattern of thelight source 20 can be selectively changed to fit a particularapplication.

Still referring to FIGS. 6-8 and 12-15, the light source 20 furtherincludes a coupler 23 (e.g., keying mechanism, locking mechanism, etc.)coupled to a periphery of the substrate base 24. The coupler 23 canfunction to align the substrate base 24 and the substrates 25 relativeto a standard bulb base, such as primary base 21. The coupler 23 caninclude one or more features, such as projections, notches, openings, orother features, that can align with and/or couple to complementaryfeatures on the primary base 21 or another component intermediate of theprimary base 21 (e.g., rotary assembly 22, etc.). According to theexemplary embodiment shown in the Figures, the primary base 21 is astandard H11 bulb base. It is appreciated, however, that the primarybase 21 can be configured as another type of standard bulb base, such asan HB2, HB3, H7, H4, or other type of standard bulb base suitable for avehicle, according to other exemplary embodiments.

Referring to FIG. 17, a light source 20′ includes a primary base 21′that has an axial socket, according to another exemplary embodiment,instead of a right angle socket, as shown in the embodiment of FIGS.6-8. The light source 20′ is substantially the same as the light source20 discussed above, except for the configuration of the primary base,the substrate base, and the cap. According to the exemplary embodimentshown, the light source 20′ includes one or more fins to function as aheat sink for the light source, such as on the substrate base 24, thecap 26, and the primary base 21′. The light source 20′ is shownschematically in FIG. 17 electrically coupled to a power supply 40,which is in turn electrically coupled to a vehicle electrical system 50.According to another exemplary embodiment, the power supply 40 isincorporated into the primary base 21′. According to an exemplaryembodiment, the power supply 40 is a single-channel, dual-mode powersupply, such as the power supply shown and described in U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 14/847,952 (now U.S. Pat. No. 9,764,682) entitled“SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR VEHICLE LIGHTING,” the entire disclosure ofwhich is hereby incorporated by reference herein. According to otherexemplary embodiments, the power supply 40 is another type of vehiclepower supply capable of controlling the light source 20′.

The disclosed vehicle light source can substantially replicate the beampattern of a traditional tungsten-halogen bulb, while providing forimproved brightness, useful life, reliability, and customization, ascompared to traditional tungsten halogen bulbs and aftermarket LED lightsources. The disclosed light source includes two substantially parallelsubstrates and at least one LED coupled to each of the substrates,indirectly across from each other. The substrates include substantiallytransparent portions that allow for light emitted from the LEDs to passthrough an opposite substrate along the primary emission axis of eachLED. In this manner, the disclosed light source can provide an improvedbeam pattern by avoiding displacement of the light center of the LEDs,as compared to typical aftermarket LED light sources. Furthermore, byplacing the LEDs on opposite substrates, the thermal resistance of eachLED can be reduced and the luminous efficacy improved, because the wasteheat produced by the LEDs at the base of each LED die is distributed toseparate substrates that are spaced apart from each other, instead of asingle substrate. Additionally, the disclosed LED light source includesa rotary assembly that allows for optical adjustment of the resultingbeam pattern from the LEDs, to thereby achieve an optimum beam patternfor a particular lighting application, unlike conventional aftermarketLED light sources, which typically have fixed beam patterns.

As utilized herein, the terms “approximately,” “about,” “substantially,”“essentially,” and similar terms are intended to have a broad meaning inharmony with the common and accepted usage by those of ordinary skill inthe art to which the subject matter of this disclosure pertains. Itshould be understood by those of skill in the art who review thisdisclosure that these terms are intended to allow a description ofcertain features described and claimed without restricting the scope ofthese features to the precise numerical ranges provided. Accordingly,these terms should be interpreted as indicating that insubstantial orinconsequential modifications or alterations of the subject matterdescribed and claimed are considered to be within the scope of thedisclosure as recited in the appended claims.

It should be noted that the term “exemplary” as used herein to describevarious embodiments is intended to indicate that such embodiments arepossible examples, representations, and/or illustrations of possibleembodiments (and such term is not intended to connote that suchembodiments are necessarily extraordinary or superlative examples).

The terms “coupled,” “connected,” and the like as used herein mean thejoining of two members directly or indirectly to one another. Suchjoining may be stationary (e.g., permanent) or moveable (e.g., removableor releasable). Such joining may be achieved with the two members or thetwo members and any additional intermediate members being integrallyformed as a single unitary body with one another or with the two membersor the two members and any additional intermediate members beingattached to one another.

References herein to the positions of elements (e.g., “top,” “bottom,”“above,” “below,” etc.) are merely used to describe the orientation ofvarious elements in the FIGURES. It should be noted that the orientationof various elements may differ according to other exemplary embodiments,and that such variations are intended to be encompassed by the presentdisclosure.

It is important to note that the construction and arrangement of thevehicle light source as shown in the various exemplary embodiments isillustrative only. Although only a few embodiments have been describedin detail in this disclosure, those skilled in the art who review thisdisclosure will readily appreciate that many modifications are possible(e.g., variations in sizes, dimensions, structures, shapes andproportions of the various elements, values of parameters, mountingarrangements, use of materials, colors, orientations, manufacturingprocesses, etc.) without materially departing from the novel teachingsand advantages of the subject matter described herein. For example,elements shown as integrally formed may be constructed of multiple partsor elements, the position of elements may be reversed or otherwisevaried, and the nature or number of discrete elements or positions maybe altered or varied. The order or sequence of any process or methodsteps may be varied or re-sequenced according to alternativeembodiments. Other substitutions, modifications, changes and omissionsmay also be made in the design, operating conditions and arrangement ofthe various exemplary embodiments without departing from the scope ofthe present disclosure.

What is claimed is:
 1. A light source for a vehicle, the light sourcecomprising: a first substrate; a second substrate spaced apart from thefirst substrate; a first light emitting element coupled to a surface ofthe first substrate that faces the second substrate, wherein the firstlight emitting element is configured to emit light through the secondsubstrate; and a second light emitting element coupled to a surface ofthe second substrate that faces the first substrate, wherein the secondlight emitting element is configured to emit light through the firstsubstrate.
 2. The light source of claim 1, wherein the second substrateis oriented substantially parallel to the first substrate.
 3. The lightsource of claim 1, wherein the first substrate includes a substantiallytransparent portion to allow for light emitted by the second lightemitting element to pass therethrough, and wherein the second substrateincludes a substantially transparent portion to allow for light emittedby the first light emitting element to pass therethrough.
 4. The lightsource of claim 1, wherein the first substrate and the second substrateare each generally planar.
 5. The light source of claim 1, wherein thefirst substrate is spaced apart from the second substrate a distance ofbetween approximately 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm.
 6. The light source of claim 1,wherein at least one of the first light emitting element or the secondlight emitting element is an LED.
 7. The light source of claim 1,wherein the first light emitting element has a primary light emissionaxis, and wherein the second light emitting element has a primary lightemission axis that is offset from, and is substantially parallel to, theprimary light emission axis of the first light emitting element.
 8. Thelight source of claim 1, further comprising a substrate base located ata proximal end of the first and second substrates, wherein the first andsecond substrates extend outwardly away from the substrate base.
 9. Thelight source of claim 8, further comprising a standard bulb baserotatably coupled to the substrate base by a rotary assembly, whereinthe rotary assembly is configured to allow for optical adjustment of thefirst and second substrates relative to the standard bulb base.
 10. Thelight source of claim 8, further comprising a cap located at a distalend of each of the first and second substrates opposite the substratebase, wherein the cap is substantially opaque.
 11. A light source for avehicle, the light source comprising: a first substrate; a secondsubstrate spaced apart from the first substrate; a first LED coupled toa surface of the first substrate that faces the second substrate,wherein the first LED is configured to emit light through the secondsubstrate; and a second LED coupled to a surface of the second substratethat faces the first substrate, wherein the second LED is configured toemit light through the first substrate.
 12. The light source of claim11, wherein the second substrate is oriented substantially parallel tothe first substrate.
 13. The light source of claim 11, wherein the firstsubstrate includes a substantially transparent portion to allow forlight emitted by the second LED to pass therethrough, and wherein thesecond substrate includes a substantially transparent portion to allowfor light emitted by the first LED to pass therethrough.
 14. The lightsource of claim 11, wherein the first substrate and the second substrateare each generally planar.
 15. The light source of claim 11, wherein thefirst substrate is spaced apart from the second substrate by a distanceof between approximately 0.5 mm and 1.5 mm.
 16. The light source ofclaim 11, wherein the first LED has a primary light emission axis, andwherein the second LED has a primary light emission axis that is offsetfrom, and is substantially parallel to, the primary light emission axisof the first LED.
 17. The light source of claim 11, further comprising asubstrate base located at a proximal end of the first and secondsubstrates, wherein the first and second substrates extend outwardlyaway from the substrate base.
 18. A light source for a vehicle, thelight source comprising: a first substrate including a substantiallytransparent portion; a second substrate spaced apart from the firstsubstrate, the second substrate including a substantially transparentportion; a first light emitting element coupled to a surface of thefirst substrate that faces the second substrate, wherein the first lightemitting element is configured to emit light through the substantiallytransparent portion of the second substrate; and a second light emittingelement coupled to a surface of the second substrate that faces thefirst substrate, wherein the second light emitting element is configuredto emit light through the substantially transparent portion of the firstsubstrate.
 19. The light source of claim 18, wherein the secondsubstrate is oriented substantially parallel to the first substrate. 20.The light source of claim 18, wherein the first light emitting elementhas a primary light emission axis, and wherein the second light emittingelement has a primary light emission axis that is offset from, and issubstantially parallel to, the primary light emission axis of the firstlight emitting element.